After about 30 years of lawsuits between Apple Computer and Apple Corps. were settled once and for all in 2007, it was only a matter of time before The Beatles were finally available on iTunes and on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 that time came! The Beatles music is in the iTunes Store!
Before I tell you about exactly what Beatles recordings are available in iTunes, I think I should flesh out the back story a bit of why it's taken a decade for The Beatles to join this most popular online music store.
In 1968 The Beatles started up a new company named Apple Corps (pronounced "Apple Core") which is still operating in 2010. Apple Corps began as a grand idea but today it exists almost entirely for The Beatles music. In 1976 a computer company called Apple Computer started and in 1978 Apple Corps sued Apple Computer over the Apple name. There were two more lawsuits (in 1989 and 2003) before the issue was settled for good in 2007.
So what Beatles material is available to buy at the iTunes music store? Their entire remastered stereo catalog! It can be purchased all at once (like The Beatles in Stereo Box Set) or album by album or track by track (this is the 1st time that every single Beatles song has been available to purchase by itself.)
What's not available to buy at iTunes? The mono versions of The Beatles first 10 albums. These are only available to be bought as a part of The Beatles Remastered Mono CD Box Set. I think the thinking is that most casual fans will much prefer the stereo mixes so it is better not to confuse them by having the mono versions available too.
As a neat bonus iTunes is also letting people stream their first American concert (February 11, 1964 in DC) in its entirety. Even as a big fan of the band I hadn't yet seen this, and what's really cool is that it is absolutely free.
Before I tell you about exactly what Beatles recordings are available in iTunes, I think I should flesh out the back story a bit of why it's taken a decade for The Beatles to join this most popular online music store.
In 1968 The Beatles started up a new company named Apple Corps (pronounced "Apple Core") which is still operating in 2010. Apple Corps began as a grand idea but today it exists almost entirely for The Beatles music. In 1976 a computer company called Apple Computer started and in 1978 Apple Corps sued Apple Computer over the Apple name. There were two more lawsuits (in 1989 and 2003) before the issue was settled for good in 2007.
So what Beatles material is available to buy at the iTunes music store? Their entire remastered stereo catalog! It can be purchased all at once (like The Beatles in Stereo Box Set) or album by album or track by track (this is the 1st time that every single Beatles song has been available to purchase by itself.)
What's not available to buy at iTunes? The mono versions of The Beatles first 10 albums. These are only available to be bought as a part of The Beatles Remastered Mono CD Box Set. I think the thinking is that most casual fans will much prefer the stereo mixes so it is better not to confuse them by having the mono versions available too.
As a neat bonus iTunes is also letting people stream their first American concert (February 11, 1964 in DC) in its entirety. Even as a big fan of the band I hadn't yet seen this, and what's really cool is that it is absolutely free.
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